Nepalese Sisterhood: Sustaining Empowerment

In January 2013, I traveled to Nepal to document the progress of the first domestic violence shelter in the country outside of Kathmandu, Ideal Home. The shelter opened in 2009 thanks to funding from a Dutch NGO, the Didi Foundation. In 2009, Ideal Hope opened its doors, and in the past four years has helped hundreds of Nepali women and children through providing shelter, education, and skill development training as well as legal counsel. This project was made possible through the IndieGoGo campaign "Nepalese Sisterhood: Sustaining Empowerment" (indiegogo.com/nepalesesisterhoodproject/x/243477) Credits: Photography, videography, audio and editing: Traci White Translations: Bhanu Kandel and Pranaya Rana Interviews conducted by: Traci White and Lianne van den Brand

Pink in Blue: Dutch twins fight LGBTQI+ discrimination

The Pink In Blue network is a task force of Dutch police officers — most of whom are gay, lesbian or transgender themselves — dedicated to protecting the LGBTQ community of Amsterdam. The group started unofficially in 1998 during the Amsterdam Gay Games. Of the 13,000 men and women who competed, more than 200 did so under fake names. In their own countries, they feared for their lives because of their sexual orientation. The Amsterdam police corps respected the risk the athletes were taking and wanted to ensure they felt safe and welcomed in the Netherlands. In the Dutch capital city, which has long had a reputation for being gay-friendly, networks of cops from different ethnic, sexual and religious backgrounds have developed, including Pink In Blue.

Marja and Ellie Lust are two of Pink in Blue's most prominent members and are both members of the Amsterdam police department. While their career choices and their looks are almost identical, it’s easy enough to tell them apart. Marja’s hair is a variation of the natural red that they were born with, and her timbre is soft. Ellie’s hair is platinum blond and her tone is likewise just a little louder than that of her sister, but they have the same disciplined physical bearing and their shared resting facial expression exudes an unmistakably bad ass vibe.

Their most important similarity is an unerring vision of a more equal future for LGBT men and women. For the twins, Amsterdam is not enough, though. The Netherlands is not enough. “I am very grateful that I was born in a country like the Netherlands and still more so in a city like Amsterdam, where we have the freedoms that we do,” Marja says.

(This project was originally published by Mashable - the full story is available on my website's blog.)

Energy of Groningen: (Keeping the) Northern Lights (on)

The Netherlands is undergoing a paradigm shift from the finite to the infinite. As nations struggle to meet responsible environmental standards while refusing to compromise their economic growth, European nations - most prominently Germany - are embracing the potential of modern technology to harness natural sources of energy. The Netherlands stands on both sides of this shift: accepting the risk of man-made earthquakes in the province of Groningen in order to extract a massive natural gas reserve, yet lining its coasts with wind turbines and solar panels becoming a common sight on red-tiled Dutch roofs. “Energy of Groningen” depicts this Dutch dichotomy by showing the consequences of the earthquakes on the residents of the province of Groningen and highlighting the ways the Dutch are looking to the future. These photos are representative of the sources and side effects of energy here in the province which, through its natural wealth of a non-renewable resource, is transforming itself into a hub for renewable technology. For more information, see this blog post: http://www.traciwhitephoto.com/1/post/2013/06/energy-of-groningen-keeping-the-northern-lights-on.html

Piano Man

Antonio Renovales followed his secret dream of jazz from Puerto Rico to New York City in 1982, learning from living legends and always in pursuit of creating his own unique sound. Twenty years later, he has made Harrisonburg his home, finding peace and satisfaction through music in the Valley.

The Littlest Monster Truck Driver

On the Monster X Tour, alongside the enormous modified trucks with 1000 horse power engines, K.J. Olson, a 7-year-old from Pompano Beach, Florida, is stirring up dust and inspiring young monster truck fans to dream big. Olson drives his custom-made “Monster Bear” truck, a vehicle only a little larger than the tires on the big boys, to the surprise of the hundreds of fans at the shows. Kids his age line up by the dozen to get his autograph and pose with his kid-sized truck. Olson, better known as “Kid KJ” on the tour, started driving his mini monster truck when he was six, and is the youngest monster truck driver in the United States. The Monster X Tour had a rally at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds on Wednesday night, and Kid KJ showed that he can ride with the big trucks.

On a Mission

Everyone recognizes the iconic white button-down shirts and suit jackets worn by the pairs of young men who go door-to-door in their community. Elder Carpenter and Elder Braunberger worked together on their mission in Harrisonburg last fall, seeing the Valley go from sweltering heat to autumnal crispness. In every community, the experience for Mormon missionaries is unique one which is shaped by the people they meet every day.

The Circus Comes to Town

Sacrificamos

Manuel Rodriguez moved from Michoacan, Mexico to the United States to find better opportunities for his wife and three daughters. Now, with four children, one grandchild, and two full time jobs, Manuel and his wife Beatriz are considered the working poor: working more than 40 hours a week at multiple jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. But, the family has each other, and that is why they make the sacrifices they do on a daily basis.

The Heart of Bryson

The Bryson City Train Depot is a crucial and beloved part of the small Western Carolina town, and the tourism it generates is the main draw for tourist year round. Much of the industry in the town depends on the station, from Heaven's Railway bookstore and one of the largest model train set in the world.